Justice Game, The (BBC-1 1989, Denis Lawson, Michael Kitchen)

In crime thriller The Justice Game, having made a major success of his career in America, criminal lawyer Dominic Rossi returns home to his Glasgow roots, investigating both an elderly man killed at a bus stop and defending a man accused of murder sees Rossi discovering the shady hand of big business involved, digging further he realises that Tim Forsythe is behind things, Forsythe will stop at nothing to make sure Rossi doesn’t reveal too much.

Denis Lawson is nicely charismatic in the lead role, quietly arrogant but getting the results. Michael Kitchen is quietly menacing as the business Mr Big and there is a smallish role for Joss Ackland who mainly pops up in satellite link up conversations (mainly to give you some idea just how wealthy and powerful Forsythe is). The plot itself is pretty convoluted and at times pretty gruesome.

The following year there was a sequel called The Justice Game 2: The Lady From Rome (see below for details), a shame really that it didn’t develop into an ongoing series.

production details
UK / BBC-1 BBC Scotland / 4×60 minute episodes / Broadcast 7 – 28 April 1989

Writer: John Brown / Series Devisor and Producer: Peter Broughan / Music: Roger Limb and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop / Additonal Music by Simple Minds / Costume: Delphine Roche Gordon, Paul Farrow / Production Design: Alex Gourlay, Pat Campbell, Ian Hamilton / Director: Norman Stone

cast
DENIS LAWSON as Dominic Rossi
DIANA QUICK as Kate Fielding
MICHAEL KITCHEN as Tim Forsythe
JOSS ACKLAND as Sir James Crichton
RUSSELL HUNTER as Sandy Sadowski
JAMES COSMO as Glen
LARRY PINE as Wendell Fergusson
ROXANE HART as Deborah
MICHAEL CULVER as Brian Ash
IAIN CUTHBERTSON as Jack Flynn
PAUL BROOKE as Alistair Sinclair Murray
PAUL YOUNG as Derek Crawford
RON DONACHIE as Alex Patterson
KENNETH BRYANS as Bobby Dewar
STUART DAVIDS as Craig Scobie
HILTON McRAE as Gerry Cowan
DOROTHY PAUL as Mrs Carter
TERRY CAVERS as Margaret Patterson
JACQUELINE GILBRIDE as Shona
FREDDIE BOARDLEY as Danny Birrell
CHARLES KEARNEY as Deputy Procurator Fiscal
RAY JEFFRIES as Mr Maginnis
GERRY SLEVIN as Enrico Rossi
NANCY MITCHELL as Mary Rossi
LESLEY MOORE as Angela Rossi
ROSS MACKAY as Father Scapelli
MONICA BRADY as Mrs Oswald
ELSPETH MACNAUGHTON as Sheriff
GRACE GLOVER as Christine
PHIL McCALL as Chief Inspector McManus
JAKE D’ARCY as Benny
ANDREW DALLMEYER as Gordon Innes
RACHEL BOYD as Janice Patterson
ROBERTA YOUNG as Melissa

THE JUSTICE GAME 2: The Lady From Rome was a 3×60 minute serial broadcast 23 March – 6 April 1990 again for BBC Scotland. The script was again by John Brown, producer was Tom Kinninmont and director was Moira Armstrong. The cast, besides Lawson, this time out featured Barbara Flynn, Ken Hutchinson, Anita Zagaria,